Door operated mailbox signal

Abstract

A rural mailbox has horizontally pivoted signal panels on the front door and on the rear end. These panels move from an "up" position to a "down" position upon the opening and closing of the door as the box is being serviced by a rural mail carrier. In the "up" position, the panels present to view surfaces colored the same as the mailbox. In the "down" position, the panels present surfaces which are in a highly visible color, contrasting with the color of the box. Should ice, sleet and/or snow cause the rear panel to fail to fall by gravity, it is positively forced from the "up" position by the action of an actuator strap as the door is closed. The signal apparatus is reset by hand by the customer at the time the mailbox is emptied by the customer.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A door operated mailbox signal apparatus for use with a mailbox having a housing providing two spaced-apart, parallel upright side walls and a mailbox rear end section, a mailbox front end door pivotally mounted at the bottom thereof to said housing at an end of the housing opposite said mailbox rear end section, said signal apparatus including: A. a rear signal panel pivotally mounted at one horizontal edge thereof with respect to an intermediate portion of said mailbox rear end section, said rear signal panel being pivotable between an "up" position in substantially parallel, overlying relation with respect to an upper portion of said mailbox rear end section and a "down" position in substantially parallel, overlying relation to a lower portion of said rear end section, said rear signal panel being provided with retaining arm means extending outwardly beyond one of said side walls of said mailbox;   B. an actuator strap slidably mounted with respect to an outer surface of said side wall of said mailbox, and being pivotally mounted with respect to a portion of said front end door to be slidable in forward direction when said door is opened and to be slidable in rearward direction when said door is closed;   C. said actuator strap being provided with means cooperating with said retaining arm means to retain said rear signal panel in said "up" position when said front end door is closed, and to release said rear signal panel as said actuator strap moves clear of said retaining arm means during the opening of said door; and   D. said actuator strap being so positioned that, when said rear signal panel remains in said "up" position, the strap will come into contact with that portion of said retaining arm means which extends beyond said side wall of said housing upon movement of said mailbox front end door from open toward closed condition to force said rear panel away from the "up" position.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: E. said rear end signal panel is so shaped and so mounted with respect to said rear end section that said rear panel tends to fall by gravity from said "up" position toward said "down" position when said actuator strap moves clear of said retaining arm means.   
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: F. said means for slidably positioning the actuator strap with respect to the side wall of the mailbox includes an actuator strap retaining bracket of configuration to allow limited vertical movement of that portion of the actuator strap within the bracket; and   G. said actuator strap means including a retaining arm means receiving notch provided in a lower edge of said actuator strap, and bias means tending to hold said actuator strap at the lowest possible position in said bracket.   
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said bias means is constituted as a tension coil spring anchored to said mailbox housing and connected over said actuator strap. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 3; and H. a front signal panel freely pivotally mounted with respect to an intermediate portion of said front end door to be pivotal from an "up" position lying against an upper portion of said door and a "down" position lying parallel to the door and in overlying relation to a lower portion of said front end door.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the surface of the rear signal panel visible when the panel is in the "up" position is colored to blend with the color of the mailbox; and the surface of the signal panel visible when the panel is in the "down" position is in a color contrasting with the color of the mailbox.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the surface of the mailbox which is shielded from view by the rear signal panel when in the "up" position is of the same contrasting color as the surface of the signal panel which is in view when it is in the "down" position.